Mumbai, August 01: Family members of Salma (name changed), a 14 year-old girl from Mira Road, is a tense lot. They allege that in a perverse exchange offer of sorts, a Bangladeshi man named Shahjahan, has kidnapped and sold her off to the flesh trade, and has since been offering to return her, provided they replace her with another minor girl.
They also allege that the local police is cahoots with the criminals, which is why even after two months, Salma is still missing, and Shahjahan, absconding.
According to a complaint filed on May 19 at Kanakia police station, the girl went missing from a mall at Mira Road. Family members say, fed up with the police’s alleged inaction even after three days, they launched their own search, with the help of some local youth.
the family claims that on May 23, they traced the girl to China Gaon, a village inhabited mainly by illegal Bangladeshi migrants, six kilometres from Mira Road. Based on a tip off from a staffperson at a local hospital, who told them he had seen Salma at the residence of one Shahjahan, the girl’s family, accompanied by locals, raided his home, handing him to the police. Salma, however, was not found. They allege that on May 25, Shahjahan was released and he fled to Bangladesh, from where he threatens them over Skype, having repeatedly made the exchange offer.
Seema Maqbool Khan, the girl’s aunt, says he harasses the family over the phone, saying, “Tumne mera kya ukhad liya, mujhe toh police ne ek din me hi chhodh diya. Agar tumhe tumhari bacchi chahiye to mujhe koi doosri kamsin ladki la kar do. (You could do no harm to me; the police released me in a day. If you want your girl back, get me another girl in exchange).”
SMD has in its possession, voice clips of the telephonic conversation between Shahjahan and the family, and a complaint letter written by Khan to the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mira Road, alleging that Assistant Police Inspector (API) Ravindra Ahwad released the accused after receiving a bribe. However, Ahwad told SMD that Shahjahan was released from custody because his health turned “serious” during interrogation.
Meanwhile, police inspector Rajendra Mohite said, “I have now taken over the case. We have already started checking documents belonging to the four persons picked up for interrogation to ascertain their nationality. I shall give you the details soon.”
Commenting on the release of Shahjahan by API Ahwad, SP rural Thane, Rajkumar Mor, said, “I will investigate the matter, and strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty.”
-Agencies